The drink that helps keep cancer from coming back

For a long time, drinking too much coffee was thought to be a problem, because of all the caffeine that comes with it.

But unless you have a medical condition like chronic hypertension and have been warned to stay away from caffeine, it shouldn’t be an issue.

In fact, I’ve got more good news for you: not only isn’t coffee bad for you, but it could keep colon cancer from coming back…

Coffee may prevent bowel cancer recurrence

Recently, I shared some great news about how coffee can help post-menopausal women keep their bones strong.

Now, there’s research showing that coffee drinking can also be a life-saver.

Right now, 30 percent of patients treated for colorectal cancer (bowel cancer) experience a recurrence of cancer.

But an international team of scientists in the Netherlands discovered that coffee seems to improve those odds…

They looked at 1,719 patients with colorectal cancer and found that those who drank at least two cups of coffee a day were less likely to relapse.

In fact, patients with stage I, II or III bowel cancer who drank at least five cups of coffee a day had a 32 percent lower chance of the cancer returning over the following six years.

Recurrence was defined as recurrence in the same segment as the primary tumor, in the lymph nodes of the same segment or in the draining lymph nodes — or distant metastasis.

The Dutch researchers also saw a noticeable link between how much coffee a patient drank and their risk of dying from any cause.

Three to five cups seems to be the “sweet spot.” People who drank that much saw about a 29 percent reduction in all-cause mortality. But drinking more didn’t make that number go up.

What is it about coffee?

Stacks of research show the health benefits of coffee are many — and some have begun to look at the components in coffee that could be responsible for those benefits — including caffeine.

In fact, there’s been indication that decaff isn’t as potent against cancer as regular caffeinated coffee — at least for breast cancer.

Then there’s the sheer amount of antioxidant content in coffee. Not only that, some reports suggest that Americans get more of their antioxidants from coffee than any other dietary source.

And one of those powerful antioxidants is a polyphenol known as chlorogenic acid (CGA).

CGA is known to fight inflammation in fat tissue. That’s important because inflammation is also a hallmark of cancer and is widely recognized to influence all cancer stages from cell transformation to metastasis.

Some experts suggest around 35 percent of Americans live in a state of chronic, systemic inflammation — and that more than 50 percent of deaths worldwide are attributed to chronic inflammatory diseases, like cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

The Dutch researchers noted that because CGA improves endothelial and vascular function by increasing the availability of nitric oxides — important for maintaining cardiovascular health — the antioxidant could be key to the decrease in all-cause mortality their study found.

What if you’re not a coffee drinker?

So, you’re not a coffee drinker…

Well, it is possible to get your antioxidants elsewhere, though we’re not 100 percent sure yet what other substances in coffee may be responsible for its impact on cancer.

But if you don’t drink coffee, you’re likely falling short on antioxidants anyway and should certainly boost your intake from other sources.

A popular fruit that’s high in antioxidants has been shown to fuel cancer-fighting cells against colorectal cancer. So consider trading a coffee cup for a pomegranate smoothie.

Some berries are outstanding sources of CGA.

Need more suggestions? Check out the antioxidant diet on easy ways to add more to every meal.

Sources:

Drinking Coffee Dramatically Lowers The Risk of Bowel Cancer Coming Back — Science Alert

Coffee consumption is associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer recurrence and all-cause mortality — International Journal of Cancer

Ageing: from inflammation to cancer — Immunity and Aging

Chronic inflammation: Why it’s harmful, and how to prevent it — Novant Health